Our planet

Our approach

As we carry Australians to their destinations, we’re conscious of working to minimise the impact we have on the environment. We’re leading the way on sustainable aviation through our carbon offsetting and waste reduction initiatives and we’re committed to reducing net CO2 emissions from aviation by 50 per cent by 2050, relative to 2005 levels.

More than 83 per cent of Qantas Frequent Flyers say that they expect businesses to play a key role in combating environmental issues. Our 1100+ strong Qantas Group Green Team staff network is evidence of its importance to our people.

The Qantas Group operates integrated management systems which satisfy safety, health, security and environment legislative and regulatory requirements. Our environment activity is supported by robust governance processes to ensure performance and risks are monitored, which includes oversight by the Qantas Board Committee for Health, Environment, Safety and Security.

Sustainability insights

Reducing emissions

Waste energy and water

Carbon offsetting

Protecting against pollution

Our targets

Qantas recognises human-induced climate change as a significant issue for the aviation industry. We support the world-wide priority of limiting global temperature rise to below two degrees above pre-industrial levels.

Aviation has been on the front line of the global business response to climate change, becoming the first industry to voluntarily commit to emissions targets out as far as 2050. We're playing an active role in setting and meeting these ambitious targets, and we’re guided by a simple philosophy to meet them: measure, reduce, offset and influence.

Focus, measurement and transparency are integral to our continued environmental improvement, in the air and on the ground.

Our targets: in the air

IATA industry targets.

In the air IATA targets

Target

Strategy to deliver

Performance to target (FY19)

1.5% average annual fuel efficiency improvement from 2009 to 2020

Fuel efficiency through fleet modernization and operational improvements. Step change to come in FY21 through introduction of B787-9s retirement of B747s

Global industry leadership

In 2016 an historic agreement was reached to meet the industry’s commitment to carbon neutral growth from 2020. The Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), commencing in 2021, will require airlines to purchase offsets to meet their share of the industry’s growth emissions. Qantas strongly advocated in support of the Australian Government opting into the first phase of the scheme to avoid the alternative patchwork approach to carbon pricing.

The Qantas Group commenced reporting its international emissions for CORSIA compliance from 1 January 2019, complementing the reporting of domestic emissions it has been conducting under the Australian Government’s National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme since 2009.

In 2017, we supported the IATA resolution calling for governments to accelerate the development of aviation biofuels. We continue to work with Australian federal and state governments to design policies that support commercialisation of aviation biofuels in Australia, which is currently sub-scale.